Fun fitness activities
Numerous Bühler locations have hosted events over the past few months to bring activities and fun to their teams. Our CEO Stefan Scheiber even dared to join the fittest – our sports apprentices – for a run.
December 2024
Selin Chua
This represents the combined distance across countries from Australia to Japan, including Indonesia, Singapore, Malaysia, Bangladesh, Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, and South Korea. We called it the Moovember challenge to move as much as possible during the month of November. Unlike the well-known Movember movement, which focuses on men's health, our Moovember included all genders. Divided into groups by countries and departments, we challenged each other to see who could log the most steps and move the furthest in this active journey.
Apart from counting our steps, the month of November was focusing on health in general. It was about improving our overall well-being, balancing work and health, and fostering a culture of wellness across our teams.
In collaboration with GenB SEA, we hosted two wellness talks by health experts to support everyone throughout the month. The first talk, Nutrition for Productivity & Performance, focused on how balanced nutrition fuels our bodies, aids muscle recovery, and boosts endurance. The second session, Good Sleep Management, emphasized the importance of quality sleep for enhancing both physical activity and work productivity, improving concentration, memory, and decision-making.
Finding time to stay active during busy workdays proved challenging for some, but incorporating small bursts of movement into our daily routines made a big difference. Whether it was walking instead of taking the bus/car or using the stairs instead of the elevator, these small actions added up and contributed to our overall health. And when the body feels good, the mind follows – helping us stay sharp and productive at work.
The Moovember challenge wasn’t just about individual effort – it fostered team spirit and built stronger connections among colleagues. Friendly competition across countries and departments motivated us to keep pushing forward, share tips on staying active, and celebrate each other’s progress. Whether through running, walking, biking, yoga or swimming, every activity counted toward our shared goal. Some groups even walked from the most northern point of Singapore to the most southern part or held a running event in Thailand.
At the end of the challenge, participants were awarded prizes for outstanding achievements, including the country and department with the most steps, the top individual achiever, and winners of various picture challenges – one of which featured the largest group of co-workers moving together.
Moovember brought together people of all fitness levels, encouraging participation, teamwork, and the joy of improving health while having fun. The collaboration between colleagues, combined with the sense of friendly competition, truly made Moovember a memorable experience.
Jaimie Larson
Everyone approaches their physical, mental, and emotional health differently. The Wellness Committee at BMIN has the goal and challenge to meet as many as those needs as possible by offering a variety of wellness programs to all employees. They meet monthly to review how current activities are going, brainstorm new activities to try and plan for future events.
The BMIN location has an onsite wellness room and fitness center that is available 24/7. These spaces give employees a dedicated place to work out when it fits their schedule; before, during, or after their workday. Weekly fitness classes are also held in these rooms. Chris Wagner- Sales FE and OL is a regular in this class. When asked why he participates, he said, “It’s always hard to find time for a workout with busy work and personal schedules, so having consistently scheduled classes conveniently located on site has helped me keep more exercise in my weekly routine.”
The annual Bühler 5k walk or run is a crowd favorite. The top 3 men and women finishers are rewarded with medals and all participants are entered into drawings for additional prizes. While many do choose to run the race, of the nearly 130 participants this year around half chose to walk and spend time catching up with colleagues and enjoying their time outside in the sun and fresh air.
Those looking for a little less physical exertion will find some friendly competition in the Better Together Room at BMIN. Throughout the day you will often find groups taking a break away from their workspaces with some ping pong, foosball, or throwing bean bags with the recently added cornhole boards. The space also hosted the cornhole tournament this year where teams of two competed for bragging rights and gift cards. Wellness Committee member and cornhole champion Nathan Bosquez, Process Engineer for Human Nutrition, participates on the committee and in the programs because “it allows me to stay active while also connecting with coworkers that I otherwise wouldn’t interact with on a day-to-day basis.”
Taking care of your wellbeing doesn’t always mean physical activity. Mental and emotional health is equally important. Massage therapy is one way to take care of your emotional and physical health and has many health benefits. It can help reduce stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as improve muscle tension, joint range of motion and mood. A licensed professional comes in twice a month to offer massages in the Wellness Center. A licensed chiropractor also comes in weekly for employees needing adjustments. During September’s Wellness Month, the committee invited a sound therapist in to do a sound bath as a new option for employees to improve their mental and emotional wellbeing.
During the sound bath, participants were encouraged to clear their mind of all distractions and focus on themselves for the 50-minute session while meditating and listening to singing bowls and drums. Hannah Martin, International Logistics Coordinator, joined the committee after taking part in several wellness programs. “The events and opportunities offered through BMIN’s wellness program have been a highlight of my time at Bühler. I participate regularly in weekly yoga and love the opportunity to have a mid-day break to stretch and get in some movement. Yoga inspired me to join the wellness committee to help further the wellness initiative, and I was excited to be a part of our office 5k and plan a sound bath for some lunchtime relaxation and stress-relief.”
For remote employees, BMIN sponsors a bike team that trains wherever they are and races around the United States throughout the summer. Step challenges have also been a popular competition to help all participants increase their daily step counts.
By participating in these activities, employees not only enhance their personal health but also contribute to a healthier, happier workplace for everyone. A small investment in your well-being today, can lead to significant long-term benefits.
At Bühler in Reichshof, Germany, a group of committed Generation B members considered which topics are particularly important for employees and society. The topic of health popped up at the top and because Lara Alshut, Marketing Specialist Confectionery and member of Generation B is a newly trained yoga teacher, the idea for a yoga course came up, among other things. The management in Reichshof was enthusiastic about the idea and an employee survey also promised lively interest, so Lara led the first yoga session on May 7, 2024. Since then, the session has taken place every Tuesday. "I focus on a specific topic in each class, such as back health, relaxation for the autonomic nervous system or osteoporosis prevention," says Lara. The number of participants is still limited, but Lara is confident that word is spreading about the many benefits of this training session. The feedback from participants is extremely positive. "Participants report that the yoga class really makes a difference to their everyday lives, that they feel relaxed and balanced afterwards and that it helps them to switch off from work."
Bianca Richle
Karin Hämmerle
Early in the morning, at 7am, the participants gathered at Entrance E at the CUBIC in Uzwil. Our CEO Stefan Scheiber greeted the apprentices and set the pace for the upcoming jog – a pace that left enough room for conversation and exchange. With Stefan Scheiber in the lead and vocational trainer David Hollenstein bringing up the rear, the group set off on time. They covered around ten kilometers together, at a steady pace that allowed them to talk to each other. Whether handball players, mountain bikers, judoka fighters or sailors – the sporting diversity was reflected in the group, as were the different professions and apprenticeships of the participants.
Our CEO Stefan Scheiber is impressed by the motivation of our young talents. "The apprentices who are involved in top-class sport while at the same time completing their apprenticeship at Bühler and in some cases even doing further training are some of the most impressive in terms of planning, motivation, commitment and perseverance. I can still learn a lot from them," says our CEO. He was accompanied by his team members Irene Mark-Eisenring, Chief Human Resources Officer, and Jonathan Abbis, Head of Global Sales Channel Management, as well as Claudia Zimmermann, Assistant to CEO. They all rose to the challenge of the run. Vocational trainer David Hollenstein, who is responsible for supervising the sports apprentices, was also highly motivated.
"It's great to see how important sport is in the Bühler Management Team's everyday life and how fit our managers are. It's also cool that they make time for our apprentices. It's a highlight for everyone," says David. After an hour of sporting activity and fresh air, the group returned to the CUBIC. There, after a refreshing shower, a joint breakfast was on the agenda, which again provided an opportunity for discussions. The apprentices took the opportunity to ask Stefan Scheiber questions such as: "How do you become a CEO?" or "How do you still have time for sport alongside all your commitments?". The result was an exciting exchange for both sides. It was a special experience for the apprentices to get in touch with the CEO in such a relaxed environment. "I really appreciate the management taking time for us and sharing not only their interest in our training but also their interest in sport and a few life lessons with us," says Tim Rudolf, Digital Business Developer apprentice and handball player. For the management, the run offered the opportunity to learn directly from the young talents how they manage the balancing act between vocational training and competitive sport.
With every kilometer on the course and every exchange at the breakfast table, it became clear: sport unites – regardless of profession, age or hierarchy. The CEO Run thus remains a highlight in the calendar of our sports apprentices and proves that team spirit and mutual respect on and off the running track are very important at Bühler.
At Bühler, we are convinced that young talents should not have to choose between an apprenticeship and a career in top-class sport. As a sports-friendly training company, we therefore support particularly talented apprentices. Sports-loving trainers, numerous clubs in St. Gallen and the surrounding area as well as regional performance centers and national squads enable apprentices to successfully combine the two: Vocational training and top-class sport. To strengthen the exchange with young talents, we organize the CEO Run once a year.
Gupfenstrasse 5
Uzwil
9240
Switzerland
